How to Hit a Home Run - Christian Yelich

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Okay this part is short but important... sorry for being MIA... 

Kat sat nervously on the crinkly paper in her hospital gown. She had flown directly from her ESPN Body shoot to UCLA Medical Center to here the results of the tests that had been going on for nearly four months now.

Eight months ago Kat missed her first period ever and the next month she suffered three minor bone fractures in both her shins and her left hip. While it isn't uncommon for athletes to suffer from minor injuries especially athletes who jump up and down there were other problems. Spells of dizziness, problems sleeping, and a massive drop in sex drive.

The doctors at UCLA had quickly diagnosed Kat with RED-s syndrome. This is a syndrome that is found in female athletes that do not manage their diet and also see a massive drop in weight due to poor nutrition and also over use. Symptoms of this include missed periods and bone fractures.

Thinking this was the only problem and knowing the reason for this was due to poor coaching and a lack of a nutritionist at OU, Kat quickly switched up her diet and exercise. Not to mention took an entire month of from almost all activity to help her body reset to normal. This break helped more than Kat knew, but there were still some problems. The doctors continued testing for other syndromes in hopes to help cure one of the nation's number one female athletes before one of the most important seasons of her career started.

There is a knock on the door and a tall female doctor that is very familiar to Kat walks in. The two people offer smiles to each other and shake hands as if they hadn't worked together for months, "Kat, thank you for coming to Los Angeles on such short notice." The doctor acknowledges.

Kat nods, "No problem just hoping for some good news."

"Well then, I'll start there. Good nows is RED-s is no longer a problem for you. The changes in your diet, exercise, and the generous breaks you have given you body have completely eliminated this problem for you."

A smile crosses Kat's face, "Thank god. What is the bad news?" Kat presses the doctor secretly hoping there is none.

The doctor frowns and looks at a few notes in Kat's file, "You're only 22 years old and the test we have done have all said the same thing, you're infertile. There is no way you'll ever have your own kids."

The news hits Kat hard. Kids weren't something she had end started to consider at this stage in her life, but it was always in the back of her mind that one day she would want a few D1 babies of her own. And not she will never be able to do that...

"Why did this happen to me?" Kat questions desperate to find answers.

"We see this a lot in female athletes that compete at such high caliber levels. The body stops producing the right hormones for so long that it just eliminates the reproductive functions." The doctor explains.

Kat nods, "There's nothing I can do even in the future?"

The doctor looks at Kat with a deep frown, "You could stop playing high intensity sports with a 35% chance of your body functioning again, but with you being where you are I know that isn't an option. Our only suggestions is to keep on your regime and hope that it can be reversed somehow down the line."

Kat nods and wipes a single tear from her eye. The doctor hands her a tissue on the way out. She uses the tissue and sits in the lonely room for a few moments trying to gather her thoughts and process this new information.

From across the way she hears her phone ring and crosses the room to answer.

Just a text from her agent making sure she was heading to the airport soon and reminding her about her big debut in Milwaukee.

Kat replies with a simple yes and gathers her bag and wipes her tears one more time. She doesn't speak to anyone on her way out just keeps her head high like she wasn't given some of the most devastating news in her life.